EVERETT — When Bryce Kindopp arrived in 2016 for his 17-year-old season with the Everett Silvertips, he soon learned there’s no place in the locker room for razors and shaving cream in the month of November.
November was for moustaches, a tradition that has continued to this day.
The Silvertips players, along with assistant coach Mike Lysyj, have been growing moustaches for “Movember,” a campaign dedicated to creating awareness of men’s health issues, from prostate cancer to mental health and suicide.
“It’s nice to grow something on my face,” said Kindopp, the team’s captain. “I’ve been doing it every year for a while. It’s pretty fun.”
The “Movember” movement is especially prevalent in hockey. The NHL and its players’ association has partnered with the Movember charity since 2011, with several players in the league growing moustaches to create awareness and aid in fund-raising efforts.
Although the Silvertips didn’t publicize an official fund-raiser this year, the tradition, which pre-dates Kindopp and defenseman Wyatte Wylie, the longest-tenured Silvertips, continues.
“A lot of guys do it,” forward Dawson Butt said, “so might as well grow one for support, you know?”
As you can imagine, especially when we’re talking about teenagers, the moustache-growing results vary wildly.
The verbal consensus among the Everett players is that Butt boasts the best moustache, based on darkness and thickness. Butt said he usually grows a blonde hair on his upper lip, but this year, he applied “Just for Men,” a hair-coloring product for, well, men.
“Yeah, just threw it on for five minutes and she’s dark now,” Butt said.
Although the legitimacy of Butt’s moustache is up for debate, there’s no denying the results.
Aside from Butt, Kindopp and forward Cole Fonstad are regarded as having some of the better moustaches on the team. Forward Jalen Price also grew a decent moustache.
As far as the worst?
The most common name was center Gage Goncalves, whose thin line of facial hair didn’t garner much favor.
For some, such as blonde-haired forwards Max Patterson and Martin Fasko-Rudas, growing a visible mustache is a tall task. Nonetheless, they tried.
And for young players such as import center Michal Gut, and 16-year-olds Olen Zellweger, a defenseman, and Braden Holt, a goalie, who can’t grow much facial hair at all: Better luck next year.
Those interested in the Movember cause can read more or donate at us.movember.com.
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